Duck Sauce
Duck sauce (or orange sauce) is a condiment with a sweet and sour flavor and a translucent orange appearance similar to a thin jelly. Offered at American Chinese restaurants, it is used as a dip for deep-fried dishes such as wonton strips, spring rolls, egg rolls, duck, chicken, fish, or with rice or noodles. It is often provided in single-serving packets along with soy sauce and Chinese hot mustard.
Duck sauce is made of plums, apricots, pineapples or peaches added to sugar, vinegar, ginger and sometimes chili peppers. It is probably called "duck sauce" because a version of it, called "plum sauce," was first served with Peking duck in China, a dish which has been served there for hundreds of years. While Plum sauce is a Cantonese condiment, Duck sauce is a Chinese American condiment that is popular in American Chinese restaurants. When the Chinese emigrated to the U.S., they created Chinese dishes that would appeal more to the American palate, and developed a sweeter version of the sauce used in China. This is what we know as "duck sauce."
Duck sauce can range in color and flavor, but it generally is orangey-yellow with a sweeter, fruitier taste than plum sauce. Duck sauce recipes vary depending on which part of the United States you live. On the Eastern seaboard and in the Midwest, people usually identify the sauce as being an orange condiment with a texture like jelly that comes in small packets with takeout food. In New England and its surroundings, duck sauce can also be a sweet, chunky brown sauce provided in Chinese restaurants. Many homemade recipes use apricot jam as the main ingredient.
Homemade Duck Sauce
from https://simpleseasonal.com/
FMM: I would leave out the chili powder and the cayenne pepper. Not all store-bought have chilis added and the duck sauce that comes in the little take-out packets is not hot. Also, I did not like the little bits of raw garlic. I nuked it for a minute to see if I could get them softened a bit. Next time I will heat the sauce on the stove top to cook the garlic and lessen the bite of it in the sauce. Otherwise, the sauce is a decent substitute for the packets.
I cut the recipe back to 1/3 and had plenty of sauce for 9 egg rolls.
3/4 C all-natural apricot jam
4 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
2 medium cloves fresh minced garlic [or pressed garlic]
1 tsp fresh minced ginger [I used powdered ginger, but fresh would be better]
I leave out:
1/2 tsp chili powder [in the comments she says she uses the Mexican chili powder blend and if using Asian chili powder to omit the cayenne pepper]
1/16 tsp cayenne powder (or to taste)
Combine all of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl with a whisk until evenly combined.
It's best if allowed to rest in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving, so that the flavors can meld. Bring to room temperature 30 minutes to an hour before serving.
Store in an airtight glass container at the back for your refrigerator for up to 1 month.
6 servings
Duck Sauce
from https://thewoksoflife.com/
Duck Sauce is a beloved condiment in American Chinese takeout restaurants. Our recipe shows you how to make Chinese duck sauce at home, with real ingredients and real flavor.
The salted pickled plum is a secret key ingredient that most recipes you see on the internet miss! It makes a huge difference in taste and and gives our duck sauce recipe its authentic flavor. One poster tried substituting the salted pickled plum with plum jam, she cut the sugar a bit, and added some salt for the brine.
Pickled plums are sour, salted Chinese plums jarred in liquid. We use Koon Chun pickled plums.
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons hot water
3 tablespoons apricot preserves
1 salted pickled plum
1/2 teaspoon liquid from salted pickled plum jar
1/8 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon rice vinegar
In a small bowl, mix the sugar and hot water until the sugar is dissolved. Add the apricot preserves.
Remove pit from the pickled plum and add to the bowl. The plum is very soft and should fall apart. Then add 1/2 teaspoon liquid from the pickled plum jar, soy sauce and rice vinegar.
Mix everything together with a fork until the duck sauce is well-combined. Let the sauce sit for 5 minutes and mix again.
Feel free to adjust this duck sauce recipe to your own tastes. You can add more sugar or apricot preserves if you like the sauce sweeter. Add more rice vinegar if you like your sauce slightly tart. You can also thin it out further with a little bit of hot water if you’d like a thinner consistency.
This duck sauce should last in the fridge for several months.
Serves 4
